


Disloyal Blue

by BBirdy



Series: Torrential Blue [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alpha Sokka (Avatar), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), Emotional Baggage, Emotional Roller Coaster, Fluff and Angst, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Heartbreak, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Masks, Mutual Pining, Omega Zuko (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Reunions, Set During Earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28596075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBirdy/pseuds/BBirdy
Summary: "Don't go!" Sokka yelped.Loud. Too loud. How had he known? Could he see it in his hunching shoulders, or just hear his own frantically spinning thoughts."It's okay," Sokka promised. He didn't know why he'd called out, voice dropped back to a soft whisper. "Please don't go. Not yet. Please?"Zuko eased.The knot underneath Sokka's rib tugged. What could have him so terrified?
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Torrential Blue [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028164
Comments: 38
Kudos: 331





	Disloyal Blue

Moonlight glinted across the rooftops of Ba Sing Sae. Everything had settled into quiet hours before. Too restless to do much, Sokka sat on the bottom step of the porch, boots laced loosely around his ankles. He wasn't due to start his rut for weeks yet, but he could feel it underneath his skin. 

"Each rut is different," Suki leaned against him in the serpent's pass, their hands wound together. "Some people have them every few months and some don't have them for years. During early teenage years, they tend to happen more often." She'd laughed then, shaking her head. 

The familiar night light cast silver shadows across her bare shoulders.

"What?" Sokka asked, embarrassment starting to well in his gut. "What are you laughing about? It's not me, is it? Look, I know the water tribe doesn't exactly have the best education but-"

She kissed his cheek, shutting him up. "I'm not laughing at you Sokka, only thanking the stars. I don't have to deal with it."

His face fell anyway. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for anything," she whispered, curling closer to him, head on his shoulder. "You want to know things. It's important to grow, to experience things."

"Experience things?"

Her eyebrow angled. "You think I wouldn't notice you shared your rut with someone. Katara and I do talk."

Embarrassment flooding back Sokka began to sputter, cheeks going red. "I didn't, I mean I'm sorry. I was alone and it just-"

"Relax," her voice stayed gentle, soothing. "I'm not mad or jealous or anything like that. But can I ask who it was?"

Still tripping over his own tongue, Sokka hummed a minute. "I don't know."

Her lips pursed, worry lining her face. "You didn't sleep with one of those masked girls? I swear they'll stay on any shoreline for sailors coming in!"

Crumbling under her anger, Sokka shook his head frantically. "No, no, nothing like that. It was, it's hard to explain. It was a friend, just a nice guy."

"Guy?"

Sokka nodded. No point in lying to her further. 

She kissed him again. "You know that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not," he squeaked. "It's just-"

"That you connected?" she'd stolen the words from his mouth.

"Yeah," Sokka whispered. 

She gave him a moment to process, seeing more words just on the tip of his tongue.    
  
"You know you aren't the first to use that word.  _ Connected.  _ That's what Bato, my father's friend, said, when I asked him about it. He's more traditional, so I never mentioned anything more than just spending the night talking," Sokka smiled weakly. "He, the guy I spent the night with, he never even said a word. I guessed it was some kind of throat damage. I don't think he  _ could  _ speak."

"That's rough."

"It wasn't all bad," Sokka hugged himself, the memory of the heat warmed skin against his like a wisp of a dream. 

Quiet a moment, Suki gathered her thoughts. "Lots of people feel that way about the people they spend their first time with. If you ever want to try and find him, I wouldn't be angry."

"I don't think I could," he deflated. "I never got his name."

"I'm sorry," Suki took his hand again. Taking another logn moment she couldn't stop herself. "Did you go all the way with him?"

"No," the lie was instant, and seems to pass. 

"It's okay if you did," Suki held up her hands. "Really. You can tell me."

He'd just told himself he wouldn't lie. But the idea of sharing details, or even the vaguest of that night, felt something akin to a betrayal. He'd never tell anyone about Blue. Sokka couldn't bring himself to taint the memory. 

"Sokka?" Suki bit at her lip.

He smiled at her, forcing the joy into the motion. "Don't you worry about him. That was one night a long time ago. I want to be here with you."

Her own joy was palpable. 

They hadn't slept together that night. Not only would they have not been able to get away, there was no need. Without rut or heat to numb his mind, Sokka curled beside her. It was nice. But it wasn't the same.   
  


* * *

  
"Stop," back in the present, Sokka stood, a hand through his shaggy hair. "Stop that. I like Suki. She's  _ real _ . I can't keep chasing dreams and… and... "

Head to the sky, he caught the distant motion of shadows. Following the flickering light, expecting a pet on the rooftops or perhaps a candle going out, he caught sight of the blurry figure of someone dressed in all black. 

Heart jumping into his throat, Sokka dashed from the porch, running down a side street. He crashed into a wall, pushing himself off of it to find the muddy backyard of a house. He could hear the thumping of his veins over every other whisper of the night. 

Atop the roof, standing tall, head dropped onto his shoulders, lit only by the silver moon, was a masked figure, the midnight blue smile curled up. 

The sight set every sense aflame. 

"Blue?" Sokka couldn't manage more than a choked whisper. 

It was enough. 

Spinning around to face him, the spirit lept into the air like a cat, losing his footing. With a ragged gasp, he slipped down the side of the roof.

"Blue!" Leaping into action Sokka ran over. 

Sprawled on the ground, Blue rubbed his head, legs splayed. 

Lips pressed tightly, Sokka hid his amusement. "Are you okay?" He leaned over, offering a hand. 

He didn't take the offered hand, scrambling to get up to his knees, pushing back against the wall. 

There was a solid moment, Blue staring up at him silently, where they considered each other. 

Trying not to feel hurt Sokka paused. "Blue, come on, it's me. I shared your heat back in-"

And then no more words were necessary as Blue gripped the offered hand in the traditional water tribe handshake. 

He remembered. Not only did he remember but he knew where Sokka was from, maybe even tried to find out how to greet him if they ever met. 

The motion warmed-over Sokka's shock. Dropping the hand he launched forward and wrapped Blue in a tight hug. 

Every repressed emotion, fear of forgetting, and convincing himself he was over their one night, came flooding back. He wouldn't forget, he couldn't. Sokka would be tied to his mystery lover until the end of time. 

Breath catching, Blue didn't move. Arms pinned to his side he froze. 

"Are you okay?" Sokka held him at arm's length, biting his lip, unwilling to let go of his shoulders. 

Underneath the mask, Zuko's face had gone blank, trying to process. Wanting to scream or cry bubbling up in his chest. He wanted to yell but didn't know what there even was to say. 

He didn't need a heat to be infatuated. That was an emotion all it's own.

The realization was terrifying. 

"Blue?"

The word snapped him awake and Zuko launched himself back into that hug nearly cracking sokka's ribs. 

The response was instant. And for a long moment both clung to the other, the force of the embrace dropping them to their knees. 

Long lost lovers in the moonlight, the more poetic side of Sokka's brain lamented. Even if it was dramatic it wasn't the truth, wasn't it? They hadn't seen each other in months. Squeezing Blue lighter he could feel his ribs underneath his fingertips. He hadn't been this thin before had he? But of course, if he had come here then he was a refugee. 

Had he suffered? Should Sokka have offered to bring Blue along with him? That and a million more questions flowed through his mind. 

With a monumental effort this time Sokka pulled away. 

In that moment Zuko was more grateful for the mask than he had ever been. Not only did it hide who he was from this person he felt so drawn to, it hid every conflicted emotion in his face, every tick he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. 

After that night, tucking himself back into his bed on the ship, he'd avoided everyone, hardly been able to eat. He felt like he'd left an organ behind. 

But he couldn't avoid him. 

He had to get the avatar. 

Then the inevitable had happened.

* * *

Sat on the back of that giant beat, using June's creature to hunt the avatar down, they had come bounding up behind the pair of water tribe siblings. 

Swaying back and forth before them June had sneered, saying something he couldn't quite remember because Sokka was right there. Back in his armor, out of his heat, he was sure he could forget everything. Even the sight of Sokka was intoxicating. 

Jumping off, forcing his wild emotions back into the easy to control pile they had once been sorted into, Zuko landed in front of them, using the low growl in the back of his throat to hold any emotion. "Where is he? Where is the avatar?"

Stood in front of his sister, come nearly nose to nose with Zuko, Sokka had snarled right back. "We split up. He's long gone."

Disappointment was the first emotion. He tried to convince himself it was because he'd lost his prize, but now, this means he would never have the chance to see Sokka again. No matter how much hate broiled in his eyes he was still the same person whose arms he had fallen into not days before. 

Eventually, Nyla had managed to paralyze them and Zuko himself had been tasked with keeping the siblings on the creatures' backs. He wanted to be heartless, ignore everything. But even just having his bare hand on Sokka's back was sending sparks up his veins.   
  


* * *

  
Just like it was doing again. Sokka's hand slid down his arm, winding their fingers together. Despite the gloves Zuko could feel the warmth of his skin. 

There was no way he'd be capable of forgetting that night. This boy, his enemy, still called to him. 

"You're here!" Sokka said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'm so glad. You're safe. Are you in the upper ring? Are you with anyone? Why are you out so late?"

Blue seemed to take a moment, gathering his thoughts before shaking his head, pressing a finger to his masked lips. 

"Right," Sokka deflated a fraction. "You can't talk."

From nowhere, Blue, holding tight to Sokka's hand, turned around and pulled into the darker alley. 

"Blue, where are you-?"

He pressed his finger to his lips again. 

Lithe as a cat, he crouched underneath a window sill, one foot up on a discarded box. Blue was up the side of the building and sat on a second-floor window ledge, peering in through the curtains. 

"Whoa," Sokka whispered, insides turning. 

Looking out over the edge Blue's shoulders shook a little, another silent laugh. 

The motion did nothing for Sokka's heated cheeks. "What are you doing?" his words were a low whisper. 

Only just managing to hear him Blue hooked onto the ledge with one leg, rolling down, knees the only thing keeping him from toppling onto his head. Entirely upside down Blue held out a handful of rolls. 

"You're stealing!" Sokka hissed. "Why are you stealing?"

Lifting up the bottom of his mask Blue shoved the roll into his mouth. 

underneath the dark mask, Sokka caught sight of his lips, tearing away the warm bread. Blue's skin was just as gently pale as he remembered it being. What little he ever got to see was always so soft. 

"No," Sokka demanded his own wandering mind back to reality, scowling. "You shouldn't be stealing."

Roll halfway to his mouth Blue stopped as his wrist was caught. 

Sokka could sense the glare even without being able to see those eyes. "Look, if you're hungry, the place I'm staying is just up the street. You can eat there."

Blue bit his lip. 

The sight lurched something underneath Sokka's rib cage. 

"No," the word was mouthed, no voice behind it. Pulling himself up Blue flipped over, jumping down. Prepared this time, he landed silently on the tips of his toes. From over his shoulder, he showed an empty bag. 

"It's okay if you need a lot. I don't mind. We've got enough."

Still biting his lip Blue held up two fingers. 

"Two what?"

He pointed to his mouth. 

"I… you have two mouths to feed?" Sokka guessed, insides curdling. Why did the idea upset him so much?

Nodding, Blue tugged down the edge of his mask, hiding his full face again. 

"Is it a girlfriend?" the question tumbled out without permission and Sokka regretted it the moment it came out. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I understand."

That silent laugh, given away only by the little tremble of his shoulders, was wreaking havoc on Sokka's emotions. 

Blue shook his head, re affixing the bag on his shoulder. There was no more sign of food. So he had at least replaced the stolen rolls. 

"Family?"

A nod.

"Parents?" 

He paused and shook his head. 

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't pry."

Blue's gloved hand caught his, pulling it close to the masked lips, an imitation of a kiss. And once again, they didn't really need words. 

_ I don't mind _ , the silent whisper was clear. 

"Come on," Sokka pulled him by his hand. "I can spare a couple meals for you to take."

Despite anything, despite everything, Zuko let himself be led back, to where the avatar could be at that exact moment. 

Gnawing his lip raw Zuko tried to think. 

Even if he could get his hands on the avatar there wasn't a chance of getting him away from the others, especially with Sokka so close to him. 

And… and he didn't know, even if given the chance, he would try anything. Just to have this secret identity to hide behind was so freeing. 

And the way Sokka looked at him filled him with a soft warmth he never wanted to trade away. 

What was wrong with him?

Sokka was the enemy. 

Sharing a heat was one thing. He wasn't in his right mind. 

Mind spinning he thought back to a conversation he had held with his uncle.   
  


* * *

  
"You miss them?" Iroh had asked, coming to stand behind him on the deck of Zhao's ship. 

He could feel the ice that day, the north pole only a few days travel from them. It must be where the avatar was headed. The avatar and his traveling companions…

"What?" Zuko stood straighter, surreptitiously checking they were out of ear shot of all crew members. 

Iroh watched the rolling sea with a serene smile. "I may be old, Zuko. But my senses have not dulled so far. When you returned I could smell-"

"Stop," Zuko dropped his face into his hand, rubbing his temples. "Nothing happened."

The lie was clearly as much. 

Iroh chose to ignore it. "I am glad you were able to find someone to spend your time with. Were they kind?"

No details asked no needing information, no micromanaging. Just… were they kind?

Stoney exterior wavering Zuko crossed his arms. "He was fine."

Again, Iroh took a moment to consider the pronoun, letting it pass. 

"And how are you now?"

"Fine."

"Zuko," Iroh never once looked at him, posture relaxed. "It is okay to feel the draw to return to them. I take it that is why you have been especially sour these past weeks."

He pursed his lips. 

Chuckling lightly Iroh gathered his sleeves around both hands, shivering lightly. "You needn't keep secrets from me, nephew. From the moment I agreed to accompany you into your banishment I knew-"

"Stop," Zuko snapped. Not only was this entirely the wrong place and time for such a conversation, he was masked, pretending to be part of Zhao's crew. The cold seeping into his bone didn't hold a candle to the chorus of other pains that gripped stone tight.    
But the pain of emotions there even those others far distant. 

Iroh did as he was told, scooting closer, face falling. "I am sorry for the predicament we are in now."

"It's not your fault," Zuko hated the moment of weakness cracking across his words. He couldn't help it. "You never made Zhao do anything."

"He has always been headstrong," Iroh agreed. "I doubt you will believe I knew him as a boy. He was kinder then."

"Does his presentation have anything to do with that?" Zuko grit his teeth as he asked, like he could hold back the question. 

Iroh considered a moment, placing his hands on the railing. "I don't believe so. The fire nation does place a lot of stock on your presentation, even more so in the last decade. I remember the teachings from when I was a boy."

Unmoving, Zuko listened quietly. Normally he would have snapped, told him to shut up. But he had found his own education so woefully lacking, that any information he did not have to give in an ask for was readily collected. 

"We were taught that casual partners were frowned on not because they were disgraceful, or staying with someone who was below your status not in employment was degrading. The teaching were always placed on the heart." His smile was soft. "Staying with one you were not mated to or employed was a danger because there was always the chance your soul would long for them after that night. It did not matter your presentation. If the connection was right your whole being would call to them. I had many friends…" his face fell. "Many were lost in battle. And while I could never call them lovers I would consider them dear friends."

The words drew Zuko short. His Uncle so rarely talked about the war. He'd lost a son in such a battle. It had never occurred to Zuko there would be soldiers whose loss could strike such a chord in him.

"And so," Iroh gathered himself quickly, "So your feelings of missing your temporary partner are natural. You will heal and it will pass, in time."  
  


* * *

  
Not enough time had passed. Walking behind Sokka, Zuko felt like he'd gotten lost in a dream. It was perfect, just to be near to him. This closeness was all he could have wanted in the last months. Every moment he got within feet of him, his heart would try to leap out of his chest. 

Not enough time. 

"We've got to be quick," Sokka paused before a simple upper ring household. 

Twisting his head Zuko saw a collapsed wall, covered mostly by tarp. 

"Don't worry about that," Sokka caught the tilt of his head. 

Zuko couldn't help it. His silent laugh shook him again. 

Face splitting into an adoring grin, Sokka pulled him up the step. 

The smile was like a punch to the gut. 

Pausing on the porch Sokka shifted from foot to foot. "We should also probably be quiet. We don't want to wake anybody up."

Helpless to his own eye roll, Zuko slapped a hand over his chest.  _ Me? Loud? _ he seemed to ask sarcastically. 

It was Sokka's turn to flush, hiding his laugh behind his hand. "Right, this way."

Ducking through the living room, Zuko entered the bae living room. It smelled of earth, the way most everything did in Ba Sing Sae. But this wasn't the trodden earth of the lower ring. It was chilled stone, freshly tilled earth. He liked the smell.   
  
Hands going lax Zuko followed more slowly past the quiet closed doors and into the small kitchen. For an upper ring home, everything was quite small, and he only lived in the one room with his uncle. Pulling off his gloves and placing them in his pocket he ran his fingers across the guilded wallpaper. It'd been so long since he'd been somewhere this nice, he realized. Or at least, since he'd been somewhere the walls weren't bare stone. 

"Blue?"

Zuko looked up, realizing after a moment he'd responded to the nickname as easily as he would his own name.

Sokka stood in the kitchen, hand held out. 

Taking the offered hand instantly Zuko waited. 

"I, I just wanted your food bag," Sokka admitted, stuttering. 

Zuko could feel the warmth underneath his cheeks. Even without his heat, he bent to every whim of his alpha. He offered the bag. and while Sokka took it he did not let go. Their fingers were intertwined. Zuko ached to bring those dark fingers to his lips.   
  
He didn't need his heat to want him. He didn't need anything. The boiling warmth underneath his skin coursed through each vein. And it would every time bare skin could meet. 

With a monumental effort, Zuko pulled himself away. This was a mistake. It had been a massive mistake. He should grab the avatar and run. He had his chance, presented to him on a silver platter. 

"Don't go!" Sokka yelped. 

Loud. Too loud. How had he known? Could he see it in his hunching shoulders, or just hear his own frantically spinning thoughts. 

"It's okay," Sokka promised. He didn't know why he'd called out, voice dropped back to a soft whisper. "Please don't go. Not yet. Please?"

Zuko eased. 

Those words were a cord around his navel, pulling him in. Resisting the urge as much as he could Zuko walked along the walls again, his footsteps silent as a shadow. 

Gnawing the inside of his cheek, Sokka took every spare second he was not shoving food in the bag to watch him, watch the curve of his spine, the choice of every light step, every twitch of his head, ear held aloft for any signs of incomers. 

"Too thin," Sokka whispered, hating the hang of what had once been a well-fitted uniform of black. 

Blue turned, head tilted. 

"Nothing," Sokka cleared his throat. "I mean-" he glanced down at the bag. Everything he hadn't placed was old vegetables, air-hardened bread. Garbage. His omega was eating literal garbage. The idea made him sick. "Where are you living now?"

Blue froze, not even a finger twitching. 

"Just to bring you food," Sokka promised. 

Still, he stood like a marble statue. 

Knots wound tighter in his gut. "This isn't just because you don't want me to see you anymore, is it? You don't want me to see who you're with. Is it a boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

Zuko couldn't help but smile. His pout was adorable. Hiding his silent laughter Zuko shook his head. 

Not quite believing Sokka stuck his lip out further. "Then who are you with? You said it was more than you."

Hesitation. 

Only thinking. As Zuko lifted a hand, gesturing to what seemed a tall invisible figure beside him. 

"Father?" 

Blue shuddered. 

The knot underneath Sokka's rib tugged. What could have him so terrified?

Then Blue shook his head. 

"Brother?"

Holding up two fingers, he brought them together. 

"Brother's father- wait." Sokka scowled. "That's still your dad."

Zuko was really trying to hold back laughter. It was frustrating, this game of mime. But oddly, it set him at ease. A silent one-sided conversation with the only person he could be at ease beside. As long as the mask stayed tied. 

"Father's brother. Are you with your uncle?" Sokka guessed hopefully. 

Zuko nodded once. 

"Why can't I meet him?"

His shoulders slumped forward, crossing over his chest tightly. 

Knowing pressing this was akin to pressing a half-healed bruise Sokka let it slide, at least for the moment. "Yeah. I know how those suck. I knew a guy who traveled with his uncle, not a pleasant pair." Sokka muttered his statement, tying the full bag tight at the top. 

The distraction was enough time for Zuko to release the awful tension in his chest. Hiding his sob under the tumble of the bag he tried to calm down.

Crazy. He was crazy. It was the only explanation. This would not work out. It couldn't. Sokka  _ despised _ him. There wasn't a universe where this could work out. 

"Are you okay?" Sokka was beside him now, food forgotten at the counter top. Arm around Zuko's shoulders he once again brushed bone. 

Concern welled faster. 

Blue was shaking. 

Cold? Hunger? Sokka couldn't be sure of either. 

"You should eat something, before you go," Sokka knew his next words were a mistake before he spoke it, but was too late to stop it. "I can bring you more, anything you need. I don't need to go to you, just stop by the area."

Ever more hesitation.

Turning quickly Sokka was terrified Blue would simply bolt for the door. Instead, he lifted a pale finger to the map of Ba Sing Sae and pointed to the outermost wall. 

That was almost worse. 

"You're in a… rough neighborhood," Sokka tried to keep the realization of that under wraps. "Look, I don't mind trekking out to a bad neighborhood. I've been through my fair share of scrapes."

Blue was shaking his head harder. 

Underneath the mask, Zuko felt damp sweat across his forehead. This was wrong. He'd been wrong to come here. 

"Do you want to go up to the roof?" Sokka pulled the offer from thin air, the ideas of a romantic roof side picnic emerging room whatever poetic notion he'd been chewing on since seeing the moonlit figure. 

Zuko couldn't quite smile as he nodded, albeit a slow one. 

Hesitation or no, he was hungry. 

It wasn't his fault. His Uncle did try. But tea and stale biscuits could only get them so far. The tea shop just didn't have enough revenue. nd the idea of leaving was worse than the notion of staying. 

Collecting himself piece by piece, placing all uncomfortable feelings under lock as key in the far reaches of his mind, Zuko grabbed the overfull bag. 

Iroh would wonder where he got it. But he wouldn't ask. He never asked anymore. He was just as hungry. 

Something tucked underneath his arm Sokka held out his free hand. "Come on. You may be able to climb up poles like a squirrel-cat but I'm less flexible."

_ Are not _ , Zuko's mind filled in. 

He cut that thought off with brutal speed. 

Following after Sokka, they took stairs to a tiny balcony, most likely only meant for show and possibly unable to hold weight under normal circumstances. But the destroyed corner of the home had led to reinforcements. 

Sokka sat on the half-moon ledge, legs dangling over shrubbery. 

Clutching the bag to his chest, Zuko took his place; beside Sokka. 

The warmth of his bare shoulder broke through the thin black. 

Zuko found himself longing to lay his head on the boy's shoulder. 

Again he fought internally before Sokka's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I thought we might be able to talk," he started slowly. 

Whipping his head around Zuko had to resist the urge to yell again, his anger already skimming the surface. 

"I know you can't," Sokka held out an ink well and paper. "I just want to find a way to communicate with you."

The fire inside collapsed to a warmth. Lowering himself, Zuko knelt, hands in his lap. All he wanted to do was reach for the paper, share his life, every thought that'd ever crossed his mind. 

But it wasn't working. It couldn't work. 

Hating himself, shaking his head, Zuko moved back. 

"Blue?"

He kept shaking his head. 

This had to stop. It had to. 

"Blue, please. I won't ask anything too personal. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to. And you can ask me anything you want. I just want to know you better." Sokka leaned forward, trying to take Zuko's hand, setting the paper into his other palm. 

Reeling back, Zuko clenched the paper in his fist, pressing his spine against the back wall, still shaking his head. 

Heart hammering in his chest, Sokka curled his arms around himself. "Why?" he asked, hating the crack at the end of his desperate word. "Why can't I get to know you? What is keeping your face from me? I don't care if you can't talk. I don't care if you're hurt. The night we shared was the best of my life!" Sokka threw his hands into the air. "I can't get you off of my mind, and I don't want to lose you. And I'll take any steps I have to, to earn your trust, take however long you need. Please… just give me a chance." Sokka watched earnestly, listening to his heart thudding so loudly in his ears he was surprised Blue couldn't hear. 

Breathing heavily, Zuko watched him, an internal battle warring in him. 

Which would be better? He could take off his mask, leave Sokka broken, hating him, hating himself for letting Zuko take advantage of him. Or… 

"Blue? Why? That's all I need to know.  _ Why _ ?"

Holding out bare hands Zuko could feel burning underneath his tight lids. 

Atop his pale palms, a tiny fire burnt. 

Face lit no longer by silver moonlight but by the gold heartbeat held in his lover's palm. 

The wild desperation slid from Sokka's face. "You're a firebender?" he breathed. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is not the end! There will be more! 
> 
> I love to hear from anyone and everyone. All comments will be replying to whether keysmashes or requests. In fact, I would love to hear any requests and will try to include them going forward!


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